


Trains and dreams

by ConditionsForVictory



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/F, Happy Ending, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, missed moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 04:41:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6641800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConditionsForVictory/pseuds/ConditionsForVictory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma Swan has been counting down the days until she met her soulmate, literally. However when the day comes luck isn't exactly on Emma's side.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trains and dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This idea comes from a conversation i had with my friend. It could be bad, i don't know anymore. Follow me on tumblr I'm conditionsforvictory. I'm taking prompts since I have a writer's block from hell. Please help. Thanks. Bye. You can read now. I'm done.

The sun slipped its way gently into the cluttered and messy dorm room. Blonde curls glinted as Emma turned away from the offending light and nuzzled into her warm blankets, back into dreams of racing trains and blurred faces. Just as she fell back into the sweet slumber her phone alarm blared loudly breaking the peaceful quiet. Groaning Emma slammed the snooze button and rolled onto her back. Blinking away the dreams of the night Emma stared at her old ceiling contemplating the need to get out of her comfortable bed. When her alarm went off the second time Emma rolled her eyes and reluctantly stomped out of bed towards her shower.

 

Steam filled the small bathroom and painted the cracked mirror. Emma washed her hair while whistling a soft tune. Jumping out the shower Emma began to get herself ready for the day. Eyeing the clock Emma sighed. It was hours before she had to get anything done. She should have slept in a little more, but there is no way she was going to miss this. Not after waiting years. She hardly got any sleep any night before. After getting dressed Emma did her annual pat down.

“Keys? Check. Phone? Check. Wallet? Check.” Emma nodded to herself and exited her apartment with a small spring in her step. She was in a good mood this morning. Of course she knew why. Looking down at her wrist the luminescent numerals stared back at her. Ticking down in the steady rhythm they have followed since the day she was born. Only one hour and thirty seven minutes left.

Only one hour and thirty minutes left until she met her soulmate.

Waltzing out her apartment she felt a little giddy at the thought was what today could entail. “Good morning.” She greeted the old man that lived across the hall from her.

“What’s so good about it?” He grumbled as he bent down to pick up his newspaper.

“Grumpy as usual I see.” Emma smirked as she descended the stairs.

The bustling of the city was considerably quieter at six in the morning but it was far from quiet. Emma made her way to her favourite coffee shop to start her Friday before work called her attention. The cool morning air nipped at Emma’s cheeks warning her of the winter to come. The large sign of ‘Tales of Coffee’ greeted her and as she stepped in the establishment the heady aroma of coffee slammed into her. Smiling at the familiar barista Emma waved.

“Hey Belle,” Emma greeted. “How’re you?”

“I’m well thanks Emma,” the brunette returned the smile. “How about you?”

“Tired!” Emma laughed. “I need my caffeine.”

“Coming right up.” Belle winked and set about making Emma’s order which she knew by heart without the blonde telling her what she wanted. Being a regular had it perks.

“Thanks.” Emma replied while paying and tipping the other woman as she always did. Emma fiddled with the coffee condiments on the other side of the counter while she surveyed the shop. There were only three other people in the store. One was a young man, maybe nineteen, rapidly typing at a laptop and chugging down his mug of coffee as if it was god given. _Last minute essay I’m guessing._ Emma thought in amusement. _I’m glad my study days are over._

The other two occupants was a woman hidden in the dark corner. The only thing Emma could make out about the woman was her shoulder length dark hair and finely manicured hands as they held the book she was reading. There was another woman sitting across from her, a blonde, whom was engrossed in her phone. Emma watched the brunette woman for a moment longer before turning back to Belle who had just finished her order.

“Busy morning.” Emma grinned. Belle rolled her eyes and leant against the counter.

“You’re never here late enough. It gets horrendously busy!” Belle defended her store.

“I have no doubt.” Emma put her hands up in surrender. “So, what can you tell me?” Emma and Belle made their way to a table and sat down since there was no work for Belle to do at the moment. Emma sipped her coffee and hummed at the delicious liquid.

“Well my father is going through a midlife crisis.” She deadpanned. Emma chocked on her coffee as she laughed.

“What?”

“You know how he was saving money to fix and redo the bathroom?”

“Yeah?” Emma chuckled guessing where this was going.

“He bought a boat.”

“A boat?” Emma giggled at Belle’s unamused face. “But there aren’t any lakes around.”

“I know!” Bella threw her hands up in exasperation and shook her head. “He’s going to drive me insane.” Emma laughed and patted her friend on the arm.

“I’m sorry but it’s really funny.” Emma laughed a little more when Belle grumbled a cure under her breath.

“Excuse me.” A voice broke their merriment.

The pair of friends looked up to find the brunette woman and the blonde woman looking at them with annoyance. While Belle jumped up to attend to the disgruntled customers Emma took the opportunity to take in the women.

There was an air about her. A strange tingling went down Emma’s neck and her entire body felt alight as she stared at brunette. She was beautiful. The woman stood with her back straight and eyes forward, there was almost something regal about her. A pair of sunglasses sat on top of her head and a large black coat hugged her curves. Emma tilted her head to the side as the blonde ordered a coffee to go.

The woman kept glancing at the clock as if she was in a massive hurry; she stood near the door, anxiously ready to leave the store. Emma supposed she had a meeting to go to. “Shit.” Emma heard Belle swear.

Standing up Emma made her way to her. “What’s wrong?” Emma asked as she stepped behind the counter to see Belle holding a cool cloth over her hand.

“I just burnt myself.” Belle answered. She was in pain but she was trying to hide it from the woman who was now watching the scene with slight disdain.

“Go sit down for a bit.” Emma ordered. “I’ll finish up here.” Belle opened her mouth to argue but Emma waved her away. “I used to work here remember?”

Emma picked up on the woman’ order, Kathryn the cup said, and quickly finished it before the blonde’s frown could get any larger. “Here you go miss.” Emma said with a smile.

“Thanks.” The blonde said rudely. The pair quickly exited the store.

“Well that was fun.” Emma laughed and shook her head.

“Thanks Em.” Belle said softly.

“Anytime,” she smiled. “How’s your hand?”

“I’ll live.” Belle grinned.

“Well that’s a relief. I thought I’d lose you back there.” She joked. Belle rolled her eyes.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Is this an attempt to get rid of me?” Emma narrowed her eyes. Belle laughed.

“Aren’t you running out of time?”

Emma froze and then quickly looked down at her wrist.

Forty minutes left.

“Shit!” Emma said grabbing her phone from the table. “I’m going to be late for the train!”

“Good luck Emma!” Belle shouted as Emma raced out the coffee store and ran down the street.

Here’s the thing. The whole soulmate situation was a phenome no one could explain. A magical stopwatch is itched into your skin the day you’re born and counts down until you meet your soulmate. Simple right? Not really. The countdowns ensure you meet your soulmate in every way. The closer the countdown gets to zero the more someone dreams about the location of where you will meet your soulmate. People camp out at in random spots in anticipation in meeting their soulmate. And where was Emma meeting her soulmate? The seven thirty train.

Which she was going to miss if she didn’t run faster.

Barrelling down the pathway Emma pushed past the large crowd in the subway and forced her way through to the front. The second she stepped onto the train a sense of calm washed over her and she took a deep breath in.

Looking down at her wrist she saw there was half an hour left. Finding a seat Emma looked around nervously. There were so many people.

One of them was hers.

Just hers.

Emma bit her lip nervously.

The train started to move. Emma had no idea where she was actually going, all she knew was the she had to get off the next stop. In exactly half an hour.

She took out her phone and played stupid games to pass the time. If she overthought the moment she was going to be sick. Time ticked away slowly and yet raced at the same time. It was surreal. Emma played with her hair and checked her reflection in the train’s window. Forest green eyes stared anxiously back at her and she fixed her red leather jacket and scratched the back of her neck.

The train started to slow down and eventually it stopped altogether. Emma jumped up and raced to the doors. The city was getting busy now. Everyone was in a rush to get to work. Emma looked down at her wrist.

Fifteen seconds.

Her heart was racing. It beat painfully in her chest and her throat was dry. She stared at her wrist.

Twelve.

Eleven.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Emma watched as the number depleted to zero. At the three second mark she stepped off the train just as someone crashed into her stepping onto it.

Whipping her head up Emma stared into deep brown eyes and immediately her wrist burnt as it hit zero.

“You…” Emma breathed in recognition. It was the beautiful woman from the coffee shop.

But Emma never had the best luck.

The train doors closed on her soulmate. All Emma could see was the other woman saying something in disbelief and knocking on the window.

But Emma couldn’t hear her. The roaring of blood pounding in her ears and the deafening chatter of the crowded train station silenced the pleas of her soulmate. All Emma could do was stare helplessly as the train left, taking her upset other half with her.

Emma’s legs grew weak and she fell into a nearby bench.

“Fuck!” Emma dropped her head into her hands. _Where is the train heading!_ Whipping her head up Emma eyed the information signs and her heart jumped into her throat. _The airport. The fucking train is going to the airport._  

* * *

**__ **

Emma religiously visited the coffee shop for the next month and a half. She told Belle what had happened and her friend vowed to keep an eye open. Emma hardly slept. She travelled the city day and night hoping, just hoping, that she might bump into the brunette woman.

But nothing ever happened. Emma never found her. She never ‘accidently’ crashed into her and she never went back to the coffee shop. With each unsuccessful day passing Emma started to lose hope. The woman knew who Emma was. She saw Emma at the coffee shop. Why wasn’t she looking for her? Surely she still wasn’t away. It had been weeks.

And so the missing soulmate searched slipped into two months with no sign of the woman. Emma’s heart didn’t give up looking but Emma couldn’t take the disappointment anymore. It hurt to sleep because her once happy dreams were plague with nightmares of missed chances and stupid trains. The city tormented her and so Emma decided to get away from a while.

“But what if she comes looking for you Em?” Belle pleaded with her.

“She won’t come looking.” Emma spat bitterly as she angrily threw clothes into her suitcase.

“But what if?” Belle pushed. Emma sighed and gripped the clothes she was holding.

“Then you have my number.” She mumbled and zipped her suitcase shut.

“Emma…” Belle called softly but Emma was already out the door and rushing into the taxi.

In honesty she couldn’t deal with Belle’s optimism any more. Belle had found her soulmate; she had forgotten how empty it was without one. And that’s how Emma felt. Empty. Resting her head against the back of the smelly car seat Emma closed her eyes and was greeted with the same old image.

Deep warm chocolate eyes. Silky dark hair cascading down slim shoulders framing a beautifully sculpted face. Red painted lips and a small scar stretching into a frown as the glass train doors shut and divided them.

Ripping her eyes open Emma rubbed them until it hurt. The car slowed and stopped in front of her terminal. Paying the taxi man Emma made her to departures through a shortcut that went past arrivals.

Maybe it was fate. Emma had time to waste why did she take a shortcut? But she did. Or maybe her soulmate’s luck was better than hers. Or maybe it was the universe taking pity on Emma’s misery.

Because across the bustling arrival gate a resounding plea broke through the senseless chatter of those around her.

“Stop!”

Now logically speaking that order could have been meant for anyone but Emma froze as if she had been shot. That voice sliced through her and hit Emma to her very core. Looking in the direction of the voice Emma was greeted with a wondrous sight.

Running towards her in six inch heels was none other than the very person she had spent the last eight weeks searching for. Emma dropped her bags and ran. Ran straight to her soulmate with open arms. It should have been strange, it probably looked strange, but the second the brunette was in her arms the world seemed to click into place. The other woman fit perfectly in Emma’s arms and it made Emma feel whole. Emma’s arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders while the brunette’s snaked around Emma’s waist and held her close.

Emma wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, just wrapped around each other. When Emma eventually stepped back she didn’t go too far and kept her hands on the woman’s shoulders.

“You won’t believe how long I’ve been looking for you.” Emma breathed. The woman’s lips stretched into a breath taking smile.

“I’m glad to see you didn’t give up then.” Emma shivered at her voice.

“Me too.” Emma smiled. They stared at each other for a moment longer before Emma realized she didn’t actually know who the other woman was.

“My name is Emma Swan.”

“Regina Mills.” Regina smiled and stepped a little closer. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Yeah.” Emma breathed as the two gravitated towards each other.

When their lips touched the world exploded behind Emma’s eyes and a sense of completion overtook her.

“I was so worried I wouldn’t see you again.” Emma mumbled against soft plump lips. “That day on the train, what did you say?”

“Well first I swore so much I believe a sailor would have blushed.” Regina grumbled and smiled, Emma chuckled and leant back to look Regina in the eye. “And then I asked you meet me here. Today. Now.”

Emma shook her head in disbelief. “I didn’t hear you,” she admitted. “I’m here today because the city kept mocking me. I couldn’t deal with the fact that I had lost you. So I thought I’d leave for a bit and then continue searching when I get back.”

Regina nodded and smiled at Emma. “Are you still leaving?” She asked coyly.

Emma grinned and held Regina tighter. “Leave? Never.”


End file.
